On May 11, 1720, Baron Karl Friedrich Jerome von Munchausen was born, whose name became a household name as a rare braggart and liar. The baron served for several years in the Russian army, took part in the wars with the Turks. After retiring and returning to his homeland in Hanover, Munchausen became famous as the narrator of extraordinary stories that happened to him.

Since childhood, everyone has heard his name, but few can tell the truth about him. What do we know about Munchausen? Who is he? Did he really live, or was he invented as Kozma Prutkov? And who wrote the book about the baron?

Baron Karl Friedrich Jerome von Munchausen from Bodenwerder in Hanover really lived on this sinful land. His name became a household name after the publication in England by the German writer Rudolf Erich Raspe of stories about Munchausen. The story of Munchausen himself and its authors (just so!) Is as incredible as the tales of this literary rogue. The second author - this time of a German text - was a contemporary of Schiller and Goethe, Gottfried August Burger. Unfortunately, the name of the third author is unknown. All three authors originally published their works anonymously. In the history of literature, only the third remained as such.

Actually, the third author was the first, because he published his little book in 1781 and 1783. In the last days of 1785, dated as early as 1786, Raspe's text came out and in the summer of 1786 Burger's "translation". It is not surprising to get confused in this story with threefold authorship, and it is just as difficult to believe as in the stories of the "truthful" baron. This is about the 18th century. In 1839, Munchausen was published. History in Arabesques ”by Karl Leberecht Immerman. In the same century, another book by a little-known author, Fritz Pfudel.

The historical baron remained a worthy person in her. He served in Russia for over 10 years, following Crown Prince Anton of Braunschweig there, and took part in the Russo-Turkish War of 1735-1739. and was at the capture of Ochakov. The official papers preserved the reviews of his commanders about him, who praise the baron as a resourceful and gallant officer. In 1750, with the rank of captain, Baron Munchausen retired and, leaving Russia forever, settled in his estate Bodenwerder. He was exemplary family man, who loved a feast, knew a lot about horses and hunting dogs. Balagur, a hospitable cadet (i.e. landowner), an inveterate hunter - his wit and funny stories were admired not only in his native Hanover, but throughout Germany.

Erich Aspe Raspe, who launched the Munchausenian, was born in Hanover. In Göttingen and Leipzig he studied natural sciences and philology, and he became famous for the discovery and publication in 1765 of the philosophical works of Leibniz. Raspe translated a lot from some European languages ​​into others (English, French), wrote about ancient and medieval art, about the problems of geology, geophysics, chemistry. With such track record pundit Raspe, however, was not an egg-headed "nerd."

In 1767 he moved to Kassel, where he later became a librarian and confidant of the Landgrave of Hesse. In 1775 he arrived in Italy to sell and acquire antiques, coins and medals. Raspe squandered the Landgrave's valuables at his own discretion and an arrest warrant was issued in his name. So the fugitive ended up in England. According to some testimonies, he was sitting there in a debt prison, was the manager of ore spears. The fraud that came to light on his part led to the fact that Raspe lived in Ireland until the end of his days.

It is not known for sure whether an adventurer like Raspe was familiar with his character. For example, in American Encyclopedia The 1956 Columbia edition reads: "Raspe is a friend and compatriot of Baron Munchausen." At a cost of one shilling, a thin book published in London was called "The Story of Baron Munchausen about his wonderful travels and campaigns in Russia." The first edition has not survived to this day, but, apparently, identical to the first, the second edition came out the next year. The book did not sell very well.

Then the first publisher Smith sold the idea to another author named Kiersley. In 1786, an expanded version of the book with illustrations was published and under the new title "The Reborn Gulliver: Amazing Travels, Hikes, Wanderings and Adventures on the Hunt of Baron Munnikhauson, whose name is usually pronounced as" Munchausen "(" Gulliver Reviv "d: the Singular Travels, Campaigns, Voyages and Sporting Adventures of Baron Munnikhouson, commonly pronounced Munchausen ").

Researchers have long found that the episode with a deer, on whose head Cherry tree, there is in the book of anecdotes of 1729, the story of a dog and a hare, resolved on the run by five puppies and hares, is in the old French collection "Nouvelle fabrique" 1526, and the horse tied on the dome of the church goes back to the 16th century German fable, "Vraki", written in Latin.

Of course, there were many other borrowings. From the memoirs of the very remarkable personality of the diplomat Baron Tott (Hungarian born in France), the flight of the Montgolfier brothers and Jean-Pierre Blanchard, and Bruce's African journey. In short, material from all eras, from the Vera Historia of the Greek satirist Lucian (2nd century AD) and the facet of the Renaissance. Raspe's merit was that he created an alloy from heterogeneous and disparate stories, united by the figure of the narrator, organically showing the hero and his time.

In Russia, where the adventures of the baron took place, they did not stand aside. In 1796 I.P. Osipov in St. Petersburg translated "Munchausen" from German under the title "If you don't like it, don't listen, but don't bother lying." In the Russian translation, all the realities, down to the name of the hero, were removed, but the content was preserved. Therefore, our researchers, speaking of "Munchausen", do not mention this edition, dating the beginning of translations into Russian in 1860.

At the end of the story, let's return to the real Munchausen. Thanks to the scribblers, the rumor about the German fluff and liar spread throughout Europe. His wife, with whom he lived for 46 years in love and harmony, died. He married again, but unsuccessfully, went bankrupt and lived out his life in Bodenwerder as a sullen, irritable old man. It seems that he even bitterly regretted the time when, in the circle of his drinking companions, he shared with them the memories of his incredible adventures.

Munchausen is a famous literary character in anecdotal stories about incredible adventures and fantastic travels. His name has long become a household name as a designation of a person who tells imaginary stories. But not everyone knows that these fables are based on real story: Munchausen really existed. Full name"King of liars" Karl Friedrich Jerome Baron von Munchausen... He was born exactly 295 years ago, on May 11, 1720, near the German city of Hanover in the family estate, which now houses a museum dedicated to the famous compatriot and concurrently literary hero... For more than two centuries, books have been written about Munchausen, films and cartoons have been made, performances have been staged, and it is even named after him. mental illness(when a person cannot reliably convey specific information). Karl owes such popularity not only to his amazing imagination, but also to his rare talent - never to lose his presence of mind and find a way out even from the most difficult situations.

The famous storyteller belonged to the ancient aristocratic Lower Saxon family of the Munchausen, known as early as the 12th century. In the XV-XVII centuries, the ancestors of Charles were considered hereditary marshals of the Minden principality, and in XVIII century received the title of baron. Among them were brave warriors and nobles, but the most famous bearer of the surname was “that very Munchausen”. However, everything may still change: about 50 representatives of the ancient genus live at the present time.

"I went to Russia ..."

"I went to Russia ...",— with these words begins one of the famous children's stories "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen » Rudolf Raspe, which tells how, during a heavy snowfall, the baron tied his horse to a column that turned out to be the cross of the bell tower. And there would not have been all these anecdotes, books, films, if in December 1737 as a page of the dukeAnton UlrichMunchausen did not go to Russia. Anton Ulrich was a representative of one of the noble families in Europe, which is whyAnna Ioannovnachose him as fiancé for her niece, princessAnna Leopoldovna.

Munchausen tells stories. Vintage post card... Source: Commons.wikimedia.org

In Russia, next to the young duke, Munchausen opened up opportunities for a brilliant career, since Empress Anna Ioannovna preferred to appoint "foreigners" to all high posts. Already in 1738, the German baron participated in the Turkish campaign, entered the rank of cornet in the prestigious Braunschweig cuirassier regiment, then became a lieutenant and even took command of the first, elite company. But on this easy ascent of the career ladder was over - the reason for this was the Elizabethan coup. The youngest daughter of Peter I believed that she had much more rights to the throne, and in 1741 she arrested the entire reigning family. If Munchausen had still remained in Anton Ulrich's retinue, he would have been exiled, but the baron was lucky - he continued his military service. By this time, Karl had already managed to prove himself as an honest officer who accurately performed all duties, but he was not given the next rank, because he was related to the disgraced royal family. Only in 1750, after numerous petitions, he was appointed as a captain by the last of those presented for promotion. The baron understood that in Russia luck would no longer smile at him, and under the pretext of family affairs he went on a year's leave to his homeland together with his young wife, the daughter of a Riga judge, a Baltic German woman Jacobin background Dongten... Then he extended his leave twice and was finally expelled from the regiment. At this, Munchausen's "Russian odyssey" ended, the baron became an ordinary German landowner and led the life of a middle-income landowner. He could only remember about the service in Russia and talk about his adventures, in which the listeners soon ceased to believe.

"King of Liars"

Bodenwerder, where the Munchausen family estate was located, was at that time provincial town with a population of 1,200 inhabitants, with whom, moreover, the baron immediately did not get along well. He communicated only with neighboring landowners, went hunting in the surrounding forests and occasionally visited neighboring cities. Over time, the insulting nicknames "liar baron", "liar king", and "lies are a liar of all liars" clung to Karl, and all from the fact that he, not without exaggeration, talked about his adventures in Russia, about the fierce Russian winter, about hunting, about court dinners and holidays. In one of his memoirs, Munchausen described a giant pate served at the royal dinner: "When the lid was removed from it, a man dressed in velvet came out and presented the text of the poem to the Empress on a pillow with a bow." One could doubt this invention, but even historians talk about such dinners today, while Munchausen's fellow countrymen saw only a lie in these words.

Munchausen tells stories. Stamp of Latvia, 2005. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Karl was very witty and most often began his memories in response to the too incredible tales of hunters or fishermen about their outstanding "exploits". One of Munchausen's listeners described his stories as follows: “... He gestured more and more expressively, twisted his little dandy wig on his head with his hands, his face became more and more animated and reddened. And he, usually a very truthful person, in those minutes played out his fantasies wonderfully. " These fantasies were fond of retelling, and soon the stories of the Baron became widely known. Once in one of the Berlin humorous almanacs, several stories were published by "a very witty Mr. M-x-z-na, who lives near Hanover." In 1785 the writer Rudolf Erich Raspe turned these stories into a single work and published them in London under the title "The Narrative of Baron Munchausen about his wonderful travels and campaigns in Russia." Karl himself saw the book the following year, when it came out in German translation. The Baron flew into a rage, because it indicated his person without a hint. While Munchausen tried in vain to punish everyone who defamed his good name through court, the book continued to enjoy fantastic popularity and was translated into different languages... Very soon the life of the baron became unbearable, he turned into an object of ridicule. Karl was forced to put servants around the house so that they would drive away the curious who came to gawk at the "king of liars."

Monument to the Baron in Bodenwerder, Germany. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Wittkowsky

In addition to literary upheavals at this time, family troubles fell on Munchausen: Jacobina died in 1790, and he married a 17-year-old Bernardine von Brun, who after the wedding began to lead a too frivolous lifestyle. The baron did not want to become famous as a cuckold and started an expensive divorce proceedings, which squeezed out not only the rest of the money, but also the strength of the 76-year-old German. As a result, in 1797, Charles died in complete poverty from an apoplectic stroke. Before last days he remained true to himself, and before his death, answering the question of the only servant caring for him, how he lost two toes (frostbitten in Russia), Munchausen said: "They were bitten off while hunting by a polar bear."

Korney Chukovsky, who adapted the book by Rudolf Raspe for children, translated the surname of the baron from English "Münchausen" into Russian as "Munchausen".

April 17th, 2015

Karl Friedrich Jerome Baron von Munchausen is a German Freiherr, a captain of the Russian service and a storyteller who has become a literary character. Munchausen's name has become a household name as a designation of a person who tells incredible stories ...

Hieronymus Karl Friedrich, Baron von Munchausen, in Russian documents Minichgousin or Minigauzin, was born on May 11, 1720 in Bodenwerder, now the federal state of Lower Saxony, - a German nobleman who was in Russian in 1739-1754 military service; then the landowner known as the teller of fables.

His hunting tales were supplemented with their own fantasies and old anecdotes by three different authors - Burger, Raspe, Immerman. Thanks to the writers, Munchausen received the nickname "liar baron" during his lifetime, and this poisoned his life a lot.

The origin and childhood of Jerome von Munchausen

The Munchausen family has been known since the 12th century. The ancestors of Jerome were landsknechts, who collected mercenaries to participate in numerous wars of the 16th-17th centuries, and accumulated a significant fortune. About a dozen of Munchausen castles are located in the Weser Valley, within a radius of 30 km from the city of Hameln, Lower Saxony.

The half-timbered medieval house of the Munchausen, where the famous baron was born, lived and died, this estate is the main attraction of the city of Bodenwerder. Now it houses the town hall and museum, and the city also has many monuments to the famous baron.

The baron's father, Otto von Munchausen, in his youth served as a page for the Duke of Christian in Hanover, then entered the army of the Holy Roman Emperor, then into the Hanoverian cavalry, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

In 1711 he married Sibylla Wilhelmina von Rehden of Hastenbeck (a small town 15 km from Bodenwerder). On May 13, 1720 in Bodenwerder, as evidenced by the entry in the church book, " His Eminence Lieutenant Colonel von Munchausen baptized his son. He was given three names: Jerome, Karl, Friedrich"Jerome grew up in an estate, the main house of which was built in 1603.

In 1724 his father died, leaving 7 children (younger than Jerome brother and 2 sisters). Not later than 1735 Jerome was sent to the castle of Bevern to the Duke of Braunschweig (Wolfenbüttel).

Munchhausen's autograph is preserved in the book of Bevern's pages: “ April 4, 1735 His Serene Highness Ferdinand Albrecht graciously enrolled me in his page". Duke Ferdinand Albrecht II ruled for six months, then died, handing over the rule to his eldest son Charles.

Anton Ulrich of Braunschweig, portrait of the work unknown artist... Oil, 1740. Museum at Castle Marienburg bei Nordstemmen.

Karl's younger brother, Prince Anton Ulrich of Braunschweig, came from Wolfenbüttel to Russia in 1733. He was invited to the Russian service by Minich to organize in Russian army heavy cavalry.

In the summer of 1737, Anton Ulrich participated in the storming of Ochakov, one of his pages was mortally wounded, and the other died of illness. The prince asked his elder brother to find pages for him.

Counselor Eben, together with 2 young men (von Hoim and von Munchausen), left Wolfenbüttel on December 2, 1737. The secretary of the Brunswick embassy in St. Petersburg reported in a letter dated February 8, 1738: “ Count von Eben arrived here the other day with two pages».

At the end of February, Anton Ulrich set off on the Bendery campaign with a retinue (including pages) as part of Minich's army, his detachment of 3 regiments took part in the battle on August 28 (14), 1738 on the river. Biloch, repelling the attack of the Turkish cavalry.

Returning from a fruitless campaign, Anton Ulrich on July 25, 1739 married the Mecklenburg princess Anna Leopoldovna (Munchausen was to be in the retinue). At the request of the Duchess Biron, the page of Munchausen was admitted to the cornet of the Braunschweig Cuirassier Regiment.

Munchausen's track record:

November 2, 1750 - released with his wife to his native Bodenwerder for the arrangement of personal property affairs

He had neither comments nor awards, did not take part in hostilities. Hieronymus von Munchausen, after his resignation, did not enter any of the European armies. He was proud of his service in the Russian cuirassier regiment and was buried in the everyday uniform of his regiment.

The only reliable portrait of Baron von Munchausen. Attributed to G. Bruckner, 1752. The baron is depicted in the ceremonial uniform of the captain of the Cuirassier EI V. Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich of the regiment, with a black cuirass on his chest.

A promising career start

After the death of Anna Ioannovna on October 28, 1740, the throne was inherited by the two-month-old son of Anton Ulrich and Anna Leopoldovna, the great-nephew of Peter I, Ioann Antonovich. But the dying empress did not appoint her mother or father as regent, but her favorite Biron.

Less than a month later, on November 20, Commander-in-Chief Minich arrested the regent. Anna Leopoldovna proclaimed herself ruler, and her husband Anton Ulrich was in the highest public office.

2 weeks after the coup, Munchausen congratulated his patron Anton Ulrich, adding that natural modesty did not allow him to congratulate the prince in a timely manner. Then they remembered the former page. To please the ruler, Field Marshal P.P. Lassi just three days later made Munchausen a lieutenant.

So he bypassed 12 other cornets, and even received the command of the first company of the regiment - the life company. The company was stationed in Riga, while the regiment itself was stationed in Wenden.

Extraordinary luck

Happened Soon new change in power, which could cost Munchausen very dearly. On the night of November 24-25, 1741, Elizaveta Petrovna arrested the Brunswick family and seized the throne. The entire family, with retinue and servants, according to the highest manifesto, was taken "to the fatherland." But the Empress changed her mind. The cortege was stopped in Riga, at the very border, and arrested.

Ivan Argunov. Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna

The adjutant of Prince Heimburg spent 20 years in prison, and after being imprisoned in a fortress, Anton Ulrich himself died in exile in Kholmogory after 32 years of captivity. If they remembered Munchausen, who was in the same Riga, a similar fate would await him.

But the baron still left the prince's retinue 2 years ago. Elizabeth showed mercy, confirmed by personal decree his rank of lieutenant and left to serve in the first company. But now it was possible to forget about a quick promotion.

The daily life of the lieutenant of the first, ostentatious company, was a continuous chore. In the surviving daily correspondence, Munchausen begged for weapon brackets, mouthpieces, saddles, dismissed cuirassier Vasily Perdunov, sold old cuirassier saddles at auction.

Three times a year he submitted reports on “ a gun, a uniform and amnitsy, which is suitable, unusable, and in place of the lost and unaccepted demand, in addition, a report card”, As well as about people, provisions. In addition, he led the purchase of horses " from over the sea"- powerful cuirassiers needed thoroughbred powerful horses.

The company commander sent people to retirement, certifying them for non-commissioned officer positions in the dragoon regiments; reported to the commandant of Riga, Lieutenant-General Eropkin, about the flight of two cuirassiers with weapons and uniforms, etc.

Report of the company commander Munchausen to the regimental office (written by a clerk, signed by Lieutenant v. Munchhausen). 02/26/1741

Meeting with the future Empress Catherine II

The most striking episode of the baron's service is the meeting on the Russian border of the 15-year-old princess of Anhalt-Zerbst Sophia Augusta Frederica, the future Empress Catherine II, accompanied by her mother, who was passing to St. Petersburg, in February 1744.

They followed incognito, but the most solemn meeting was arranged at the border. The life cuirassier regiment built for this occasion, as noted by the mother of Catherine II, Johann Elizabeth, was "really extremely handsome."

For three days the princesses stayed in Riga, where they lived in the house of the adviser Becker on Zünderstrasse. An honor guard of 20 cuirassiers with a trumpeter was commanded by Munchausen, who also saw off the sledges of the Anhaltins from the city towards St. Petersburg.

"Released for his needs"

Immediately after a successful meeting, on February 2, 1744, Munchausen married Jacobina von Dunten, the daughter of a Riga judge. The marriage was happy, but childless.

Munchausen had no promising prospects in Russia. He had no special merits or sins, without a patron his promotion stopped, and by 1750 he was already older than all the lieutenants of his regiment.

Empress Elizabeth Petrovna's decree on the promotion of Jerome von Munchausen to the rank of captain. Munchausen Museum in Bodenwerder. 1750.

Then Jerome submitted a petition to Elizaveta Petrovna with the words that "I am the oldest in that corps." On February 20, 1750, he was promoted to the rank of captain, and on November 2 of the same year, the empress let the "baron" and his wife go to Hanover "for his needs."

Landowner Munchausen

The captain of the cuirassier regiment Munchausen was twice extended his leave so that he could divide the property left after the death of Hilmar's elder brother and mother, as well as the death of one of the younger brothers, Georg Wilhelm Otto, on the battlefield in 1747 in battle on the territory of modern Belgium. Finally, Wilhelm Werner Heinrich received all the buildings in Rinteln, and Jerome was given the estate and grounds in Bodenwerder.

The estate was located on one side of the Weser branch, and the family forests and fields were on the other. The distance in a straight line was about 25 meters, and around a single bridge - 1 km. Munchausen got tired of crossing on a barge, he ordered his workers to build a bridge.

Now the city administration is located in the Munchausen house. The burgomaster's office is located in the bedroom of the previous owner. The real Jerome von Munchausen called his burgomaster "disgusting brawler", and this was the mildest epithet.

This aroused the indignation of the townspeople: tramps could enter the city across the new bridge, and the city did not have money for a new post and additional guards. A certain tailor angered the people, a crowd with axes tore the deck of the bridge and knocked out the piles. Since the bridge was small and did not correspond to the scale of the meeting, they broke at the same time the new fence of the estate.

The squabbles with the burgomaster filled Munchausen's life. Either his workers grazed cattle in the city pasture, then the city council took the pigs as collateral for non-payment of the duty, then they divided the meadow beyond the Weser. The nearest neighbors only irritated Jerome.

Tales in the Göttingen tavern and at the court

Together with other landowners, Munchausen sought refuge from scandals in hunting and traveling around the country. The hunt was good because it dragged on for several weeks, a huge company gathered and you could rest your soul, sitting in the evening with a bottle good wine... Munchausen's favorite place was Rulender's inn in Göttingen on 12 Judenstrasse.

In life, a straightforward and truthful person, the "baron" had a special quality - when he began to tell, he composed, lost his head and was himself convinced of the truthfulness of everything he said. In modern psychology, this property of the narrator is called "Munchausen syndrome".

According to the recollections of his contemporaries, "he usually began to talk after dinner, lighting his huge foam pipe with a short mouthpiece and placing a steaming glass of punch in front of him ...

He gestured more and more expressively, twisted his little dandy wig on his head with his hands, his face became more and more animated and reddened, and he, usually a very truthful person, at these moments remarkably played out his fantasies. "

To those who tried to pull him down and convict him of a lie, other listeners explained that the narrator was not himself and asked not to interfere with him. Munchausen, in the presence of the audience, felt inspiration and spoke in such a way that his drinking companions personally imagined everything he was talking about, even if it was impossible to believe it.

Once young officers - guests of the inn - began to brag about their successes with the ladies. Munchausen modestly sat on the sidelines, but still could not resist and said: “It’s different - my sleigh ride, which I had the honor to make at the invitation of the Russian empress ...” and then he told about a giant sleigh with chambers, a ballroom and rooms where young officers frolicked with the ladies of the court.

At some point, general laughter broke out, but Munchausen continued quite calmly, and when he finished, he silently finished his dinner.

Meanwhile, the story was always based on a genuine incident. Catherine II, in fact, traveled in a huge sleigh with an office, bedroom and library.

Road carriage of Catherine II. Goppe engraving. End XVIII v.

He had an incident at a review in August 1739.

One soldier had a shotgun, a ramrod hammered into the barrel flew out with force and shattered the leg of Prince Anton Ulrich's horse. The horse and rider fell to the ground, the prince was not injured. We know about this case from the words of the British ambassador, there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of his official report.

Munchausen became so famous that they began to invite him to the court of the Elector. "Baron" was urged to tell something, and as soon as he started, everyone immediately fell silent, so as not to frighten off his inspiration.

Literary glory

The baron did not remember what he was saying, and therefore was furious when he saw his stories in print.

The first book was published in 1761 anonymously in Hanover under the title "Sonderling" (Eccentric). The anonymous author, Count Rochus Friedrich Lynar, lived in Russia at the same time as the baron. Three of his stories - about a dog with a lantern on its tail, about partridges shot with a ramrod, and about a hound whelping on the run in pursuit of a hare - were later included in all collections.

20 years later, in 1781, "A Guide for Merry People" was published in Berlin, where 18 stories were presented already in the name of the quite recognizable "Mn-h-z-na". The already aged baron immediately recognized himself and understood who could write it - he shouted at every corner that "the university professors Burger and Lichtenberg disgraced him all over Europe." This edition has already considerably enriched the Göttingen booksellers.

But the saddest thing was ahead: at the beginning of 1786, the historian Erich Raspe, convicted of stealing a numismatic collection, fled to England and there, in order to get some money, wrote on English language the book that forever introduced the baron into the history of literature, "Tales of Baron Munchausen about his wonderful travels and campaigns in Russia." During the year, "Stories" went through 4 reprints, and in the third edition Raspe included the first illustrations.

During the life of the "Baron" a Russian edition was published. In 1791 the collection “ Don't listen, don't listen, but don't bother lying"Without the name of the baron. For censorship reasons, short stories describing the customs of the Russian military and courtiers were omitted.

Arts and entertainment

Who wrote The Adventures of Baron Munchausen? Biography and creative way Rudolf Erich Raspe

28 april 2015

A little old man sitting by the fireplace, telling stories, absurd and incredibly interesting, very funny and "truthful" ... It seems that a little time will pass, and the reader himself will decide that it is possible to pull himself out of the swamp, grabbing his hair, and turn the wolf inside out , find half of a horse who drinks tons of water and cannot quench his thirst in any way.

Familiar plots, isn't it? Everyone has heard of Baron Munchausen. Even people who don't get along well with fine writing, thanks to cinema, will be able to list a couple on the fly fantastic stories about him. Another question: "Who wrote the tale" The Adventures of Baron Munchausen "? Alas, the name of Rudolf Raspe is not known to everyone. And is he the real character creator? Literary critics still find the strength to argue on this topic. However, first things first.

Who wrote The Adventures of Baron Munchausen?

The future writer was born in 1736. His father was an official and part-time miner, as well as a notorious lover of minerals. This explained why their early years Raspe spent near the mines. He soon received his basic education, which he continued at the University of Göttingen. At first he was occupied with the law, and then the natural sciences took over. Thus, nothing indicated his future hobby - philology, and did not foreshadow that he would be the one who wrote The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

Further years

Upon returning to his hometown, he chooses the activity of a clerk, and then works as a secretary in the library. As a publisher, Raspe made his debut in 1764, offering the world the works of Leibniz, which, incidentally, were dedicated to the future prototype of "Adventures". Around the same time, he wrote the novel Hermine and Gunilda, became a professor and received the position of caretaker of an antique cabinet. Travels through Westphalia in search of old manuscripts, and then rare things for a collection (alas, not his own). The latter was entrusted to Raspe taking into account his solid authority and experience. And, as it turned out, in vain! The person who wrote The Adventures of Baron Munchausen was not a very wealthy person, even a poor one, which made him commit a crime and sell part of the collection. However, Raspe managed to avoid punishment, but how this happened is difficult to say. They say that those who came to arrest the man listened and, fascinated by his gift of a storyteller, allowed him to flee. This is not surprising, because they ran into Raspe himself - the one who wrote "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen"! How could it be otherwise?

The emergence of a fairy tale

The stories, twists and turns associated with the publication of this tale, in fact, turn out to be no less interesting than the adventures of its protagonist. In 1781, the first stories about a cheerful and all-powerful old man are found in the "Guide for Merry People". It was not known who wrote The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. The author considered it necessary to remain in the shadows. It was these stories that Raspe took as the basis for his own work, which was united by the figure of the narrator, had integrity and completeness (in contrast to the previous version). Fairy tales were written in English, and the situations in which he acted the main character, had a purely English flavor, were associated with the sea. The book itself was conceived as a kind of edification directed against lies.

Then the tale was translated into German (this was done by the poet Gottfried Burger), supplementing and changing the previous text. Moreover, the edits were so significant that in serious academic publications in the list of those who wrote "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" there are two names - Raspe and Burger.

Prototype

The cheerful baron had a real prototype. His name was like literary character, - Munchausen. By the way, the problem of transferring this German surname remained unresolved. Korney Chukovsky introduced the Munchausen variant into use, however, modern editions the letter "g" was added to the hero's surname.

The real baron, already at a venerable age, loved to talk about his hunting adventures in Russia. The listeners recalled that at such moments the narrator's face became animated, he himself began to gesticulate, after which incredible stories could be heard from this truthful person. They began to gain popularity and even go to print. Of course, the necessary degree of anonymity was observed, but people who knew the baron closely understood who the prototype of these lovely stories was.

Last years and death

In 1794, the writer tries to lay a mine in Ireland, but death prevented these plans from being realized. Raspe value for further development literature is great. In addition to the invention of the character, which has already become a classic, almost anew (taking into account all the details of creating a fairy tale, which were mentioned above), Raspe drew the attention of his contemporaries to ancient Germanic poetry. He was also one of the first to feel that Songs of Ossian was a forgery, although he did not deny their cultural significance.

Book "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen", history of creation.

Prototype of the literary baron Munchausen J.K.F. von Munchausen and his biography

Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Munchausen (1720-1797), a brave and resourceful officer of the Russian army, served in Russia for more than 10 years, belonged to an ancient family, whose history is known that its founder, the knight Heino (Heino), participated in the crusade of King Frederick Barbarossa in Palestine. After several centuries, the family of the knight Heino practically disappeared. There remained one of the descendants of the knight, who retired from military affairs and lived in a monastery cell. By special decree, the monk was released from the monastery in order to marry and have children. The knight-monk continued the dying family, and his children were given the surname "Munchausen" (monk + house; monk from the cell; children of the monk from the cell).Jerome von Munchausen returned to his homeland with the rank of captain (captain), where he died, leaving no heirs behind on German soil.It is known about the life of Baron Munchausen in Russia that he participated in the Russian-Turkish war, accompanying Duke Anton Ulrich of Braunschweig as a page. Anton Ulrich married Princess Anna Leopoldovna, who ruled a short time The Russian Empire. At their wedding, Baron Munchausen met the young princess Golitsina. The illegitimate child of the baron and the princess was handed over to the family of the Cossack chieftain with whom Munchausen met during the Russian-Turkish war. Thanks to this, the Russian line of Baron Munchausen was preserved.The most famous meeting of Baron Munchausen with Princess Sophia Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst. As the chief of the guard of honor, Baron Munchausen guarded the house in which the princess stayed for the night on the way to St. Petersburg for several days.

In 1762, the princess will become the Russian empress and will receive the name - Catherine II.

Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Munchausen - Biography

1720 - was born in Germany, the town of Bodenwerder, the fifth child in the family.

1737 - served in Russia as a page for Prince Ulrich of Braunschweig.

1738 - together with the prince took part in the Russian-Turkish war.

1739 - summer, meeting of Baron Munchausen with the young princess Golitsina at the wedding of Anna Leopoldovna and Anton Ulrich of Braunschweig in St. Petersburg. Fleeting love and the illegitimate child that gave rise to the Russian branch of the Munchausen, renowned representative which is the writer V. Nagovo-Munchausen.

1739 - winter, due to “ love story"Forced to leave the service in the prince's retinue, he was transferred to serve in the Braunschweig cuirassier regiment, which was stationed near Riga.

1744 - February, as the chief of the guard of honor, he meets the retinue of the German princess Sophia Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst (the future Empress Catherine II), heading for Russia and personally guards her for three days.

1744 - married Jacobina von Dunten, the daughter of a judge who lived near Riga.

1750 - receives the rank of captain (captain). In the same year Munchausen asks for a leave of absence for a period of a year "to correct extreme and necessary needs" and leaves with his wife to Germany to inherit. By this time, Munchausen's mother had died, and his two siblings had died in the war (not in Russia).

1754 - August, Baron Munchausen cannot return to Russia and he is expelled from the regiment. In the small town of Bodenwerder (then 1,200 inhabitants, now 6,000), the baron leads the modest life of a poor landowner, having fun with hunting and talking among his small friends about his amazing adventures in Russia. When signing his letters, documents and papers, IKF von Munchausen always indicates - "Baron Munchausen, officer of the Russian army." The inhabitants of the town are unfriendly to the baron and try in every possible way to annoy the officer of the Russian army.

How the book "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" appeared

1754 - Baron Munchausen likes to visit the neighboring city of Göttingen. In this city, Gerlach Munchausen, his uncle, founded the University of Göttingen, which today remains one of the leading educational centers in Germany. (In 1755, in the image and likeness of the University of Göttingen, the first university in Russia, Moscow University, now known as Moscow State University, will be created.) In the evenings, Baron Munchausen can be met in one of the taverns where university teachers and students gather. Baron Munchausen comes to have dinner, and at the same time talk about his amazing adventures in Russia with his friends and acquaintances. One of the listeners described his impressions in his diary as follows: “Baron Munchausen began to tell after supper ... He accompanied his stories with expressive gestures, twisted his dandy wig with his hands on his head, excitement flared up in his eyes, his face brightened and reddened. Munchausen, usually a very truthful person, at these moments perfectly played out his fantasies. "These amazing stories I was lucky to hear Rudolf Erich Raspe and Gottfried August Burger, who became the authors of the famous book about the adventures of Baron Munchausen.

1781 - “Stories M – G – Z – NA”, consisting of 16 short stories, almost all of them are associated with Russia. The author of the stories is not listed, but most likely it was Baron Munchausen himself.

1785 - Rudolf Erich Raspe, scientist and writer, publishes in London a small book "Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvelous Travels and Campaigns in Russia", 1785, London). The book is based on "Stories M – G – Z – NA”. Raspe was born in 1737 in Hanover (75 km from Bodenwerder), studied natural sciences and philology at the University of Göttingen. Due to his adventurous character, he was forced to flee to England, where he published a book and spent the last years of his life.

1786 - almost immediately the German poet and scientist Gottfried August Burger (1747-1794) translates E. Raspe's book into German and introduces a number of new episodes and adventures into the work. Burger divides the book into two parts: "The Adventures of Munchausen in Russia" and "Adventures of the Sea of ​​Munchausen". This version of the book about the adventures of Munchausen with long title « Amazing travel, hiking and fun adventures Baron Munchausen on water and on land, which he usually talked about among his friends, ”is considered a textbook (classical). Without a doubt, G. Burger, like E. Raspe, was familiar with Baron Munchausen. Gottfried Burger was a student at the University of Göttingen, then taught there as a lecturer and professor.

A stranger among his own

The book about the adventures of Munchausen quickly became popular throughout Europe.

Crowds of people come to the house of Baron Munchausen to gaze at the eccentric and dreamer, but such attention is not due to a benevolent attitude, but a desire to laugh and show their negative attitude. This "dislike" for Baron Munchausen on the part of the German intelligentsia and burghers is understandable. Why are none of his adventures connected to German soil? Why is the baron a patriot of Russia (fighting on her side) and not Germany? The name "Munchausen" becomes synonymous with virtuoso lies. Baron Munchausen was named "Lügen-Baron" or "liar baron", which is still called in Germany Baron Munchausen.

The last years of the life of Baron Munchausen

1790 - Baron becomes a widower and decides to marry 17-year-old Bernardine von Brun, daughter of a retired major. Munchausen is 73 years old. The young beauty's plan is simple - to get married, wait for the death of the baron, and continue a carefree life in the rank of baroness. A few months after their wedding, a child is born. It is believed that this was the child of Bernardina and her secret boyfriend from a neighboring town. The Baron refuses to recognize the child as his own and files for divorce. Bernandina claims that this is the child of the baron. Paying long trial, Baron Munchausen went into debt and went bankrupt, the child died due to poor health, and Bernandina herself fled. According to contemporaries, Bernandine von Braun was a beautiful, showy woman and quickly married in neighboring Holland.

The last story of Baron Munchausen

On February 22, 1797, in loneliness and poverty, at the age of 77, Hieronymus von Munchausen dies.

A few days before his death, a woman caring for him discovered that two fingers were missing on his leg and shouted in surprise: "How could this have happened, Mr. Baron?" Even on the verge of death, the cheerful Baron Munchausen did not miss the opportunity to tell about this story: “These fingers were bitten off by a polar bear when I traveled to the North Pole! The stupid bear choked on them and died! The skin of a bear is hanging in my office! By my cocked hat! Do not forget to clean it from dust! ".

It was last story Baron Munchausen. The baron was buried in a modest family crypt in a small local village church. A hundred years later, they tried to reburial Baron Munchausen. Three local residents opened the burial place and froze in fright. The face and body of Baron Munchausen looked untouched by time. A sudden gust of wind in a small room scattered the body to dust and horrified people who decided to disturb Munchausen. Some of the ashes were blown out by the wind through the open windows and doors and, quite possibly, were carried all over the world. In panic, they closed the tombstone, forgetting to mark it. And now it is not known exactly which slab the remains of the ashes of the cheerful Baron Munchausen lie under.

Gottfried August Burger died in 1794 in severe poverty and loneliness, before he reached the age of 47. In the same year, Rudolf Erich Raspe (57 years old) also died in complete poverty. Three years later, Baron Munchausen (77 years old) dies. The book "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" did not bring any of the three authors any honors, or good fame, or a prosperous life during their lifetime.

Baron Munchausen, R.E. Raspe, G.A. Burgher

and the book "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen"

The authorship of E. Raspe and G. Bürger will be established by historians - they did not sign the book with their names and preferred to remain anonymous. These were very serious and educated scientists, literary men who spoke several languages, and such a "frivolous book" could cause only a negative attitude towards them in their midst. The book's preface states that “ it comes about Baron Munchausen, who lives near the city of Hanover, that the baron does not tolerate liars. " All "glory and honors" go to the lot of Hieronymus von Munchausen. Almost immediately E. Raspe's book "The Adventures of Munchausen in Russia" is translated into German. The author of the translation is G. A. Burger. But he cannot be called a "translator" in the usual sense of the word. Gottfried Burger significantly improved the book, he made significant innovations and additions, new episodes and adventures. Usually, the name of only one author of the book is indicated - E. Raspe. In fact, G. Burger is the co-author of the book. For example, famous episodes"Flying on the core", "pulling the pigtail out of the swamp", "a piece of bacon", "flying on ducks", "eight-legged hare" and some others, were written by Burger. All editions of the book, which bear the name of E. Raspe, include episodes and stories belonging to the talent of G. Burger. The book about the adventures of Munchausen is paradoxical for German literature- Germany and the Germans are not mentioned in it. The book tells about another country, the authors endow their hero - Baron Munchausen with atypical traits of behavior and character alien to the German mentality and way of life.

The following can be argued: E. Raspe is the creator of a book of short stories based on the stories of Baron JKF von Munchausen. G. Burger - filled the book with adventures that made the literary image and character "Baron Munchausen" integral.

The contribution of Russian writers to the development of the image

Baron Munchausen

Some time after the publication of the book, a number of German authors publish various "additions to the adventures of Munchausen." Any significant contribution to development literary image(character) of Baron Munchausen, they do not bring. The book by E. Raspe - G. Burger is being translated into other languages. The content of the book is voluminous, it is difficult for children to read it. VAt the beginning of the 20th century, the writer K.I. Chukovsky makes a translation of the book by Raspe-Burger. Chukovsky shortens the text of the book, separates episodes into separate chapters, stories.The retelling of the book by K. Chukovsky can hardly be called adapted for children, since hunting stories remained unchanged in it, which describe an inhumane, by modern standards, attitude towards animals. The undoubted merit of K. Chukovsky is that he was the first to make a translation of the famous book, aimed at a children's audience. The hero of the book, Baron Munchausen, becomes a famous and popular character in our country. The cartoon "The Adventures of Munchausen" (1973), written by Roman Sef) and the film "The Same Munchausen" (1979) based on the play by Grigory Gorin, created in Russia during the Soviet era, became a striking contribution to the development of the image. With the appearance of these works, a kind of paradox emerged related to the question of the character's cultural affiliation. On the one hand, there is a book created by German writers, in which all the most famous adventures of the hero take place in Russia, and the hero of the book is perceived in the writers' homeland as a great liar. On the other hand, there is a cartoon and a film based on the scripts of Soviet-Russian writers, in which the same character is perceived as a great dreamer. From the point of view of copyright, the magnificent works of G. Gorin and R. Sef, for all their novelty and originality, did not allow Baron Munchausen to be considered completely belonging to Russian culture. They talk about a character already known and created by writers from another country.

Young Baron Munchausen - new image famous baron Munchausen.

V. Nagowo-Munchausen, a descendant of JKF von Munchausen, managed to create a really new work. At the beginning of the 21st century, in 2005, 220 years after the appearance of Raspe-Burger's book, the Russian (Russian) writer V. Nagovo-Munchausen published "The Adventures of Childhood and Youth of Baron Munchausen" Baron Munchausen. A new image and character "young Munchausen" has appeared in literature. This image and character did not exist before, children and adolescence the main world inventor has not been described by anyone. In fact, the missing part of Raspe-Burger's book was created and the gap that interested all readers was filled in - what the famous Baron Munchausen was like in childhood and adolescence. With the advent of the character "young Baron Munchausen", Russian culture received all the rights to call the famous Baron Munchausen belonging to the Russian, Russian national culture and finally secured her rights to the hero of a literary work,which became part of Russian culture.

V. Nagovo-Munchausen created not only a completely new image and character, but also retold the book of Raspe-Burger for a children's audience. For the first time, a famous book has become truly adapted for a children's audience. V famous stories and the plots were bright innovations that filled them with new content and meaning, endowed Baron Munchausen with new character traits, the cruel attitude towards animals left the book, new characters and new adventures appeared. In 2014-2015, the writer combined the book about the young Munchausen with the revised book by Raspe-Burger into a single, integral work of literature, consisting of two parts - the adventures of the young and adult Baron Munchausen. The book was published under the titles "Baron Munchausen" and "The Adventures of Munchausen" (The Adventures of the Young and Adult Baron Munchausen).

This is probably a kind of historical justice. Worldwide famous work was written according to the stories of an officer of the Russian army, Baron Munchausen, but his name was never indicated on the cover of the book. Several centuries later, the writers E. Raspe and G. Burger received a talented co-author in the person of a descendant of Baron Munchausen, Russian culture had undeniable rights to the image of the young baron, and readers were given the world's best book about the adventures of the famous Baron Munchausen.

V. Nagowo-Munchausen, writer and descendant of Baron Munchausen

Vladimir Nagovo-Munchausen, a descendant of IKF von Munchausen, graduated from the University, Faculty of Philosophy. He opened the first museum in Russia and a monument to Baron Munchausen. For the first time in world literature, he spoke about the adventures of the young Baron Munchausen. Author of the book "The Adventures of the Young Baron Munchausen", author of the image and character "Young Baron Munchausen". The author of significant, striking innovations and additions in the history and plots of the book of Raspe-Burger, in the image of "the adult Baron Munchausen", the author of new adventures. The author of a new book about the adventures of Baron Munchausen, combining the adventures of the young and adult Baron Munchausen into one work of literature. Author of the play "Young Baron Munchausen".

At the end of winter he likes to shoot pickled cucumbers soaked in special tinctures from the Gurken-Puk (cucumber cannon) cannon at the North Pole. A descendant of the Baron claims that “When fired, pickles are scattered into small particles (nano-particles) and fly to the North Pole at the speed of light. Flying up to the pole, under the influence of the cold, they regain their former cucumber appearance and fall into the clutches of polar bears. Polar bears eat cucumbers and ride on their backs along the North Pole with pleasure - rubbing their backs against the earth's axis. The earth turns on its axis faster and the weather changes for the better again. "

TO How to write correctly: Baron Münchhausen in German

or Baron Munchausen in English?

Rudolf Erich Raspe has published a book in English. The name of the hero "Baron Munchausen" is indicated on the cover, and in the foreword of the book it is indicated - "Baron Munchhausen (Munchausen) or Munchausen (Munchausen), belongs to a noble family and lives in Germany." In the main text and on the cover of the book, the writer uses the name "Munchausen", which is related to the spelling of this name in English. Almost immediately, GA Burger translates the book into German and introduces a number of the most famous episodes into it. In German, this name is spelled only as Munchhausen. Early 20th century children's writer K. I. Chukovsky retold the book for children and indicated the name of the hero as "Munchausen", considering that it is easier for children to speak Munchausen, not Munchausen (in the first translations K. Chukovsky writes "Munchausen").Chukovsky's translation was published in huge editions and influenced the spelling of this name. Thus, historically, two spellings of the name "Munchausen" have developed, which have insignificant differences associated with language peculiarities... In everyday speech, when they say "Munchausen" or "Munchausen", it does not matter in principle - everyone knows and understands who they are talking about.

It is fair to speak about the correct spelling of this name as "Munchausen" and not "Munchausen", especially when it comes to the prototype of the hero and translations into Russian of the work of G. A. Burger, remember that all translations of Raspe's book contain stories added by Burger. It is obviously not worth recognizing the spelling of this name as "Munchausen" and not "Munchausen" as an obvious mistake.